On May 16, our third cohort of Core City: Cleveland Impact Program participants took the stage to present their fine-tuned, demo day-style pitches to an audience of friends, family, community members and a panel of judges.

We would like to congratulate each of the Core City Impact Program participants on their completion of the 12-week business assistance program. Meet the participants:

Betsy Gates, Simply Betsy Company
Starting from humble beginnings in 2010, Betsy Gates has grown Simply Betsy Company from a small basement operation into a flourishing retailer of handcrafted, small-batch skincare and body products created with locally grown natural and organic ingredients.

Dana Simmons, Image Voice Productions
In business for nearly two decades, Image Voice Productions is a multi-media company specializing in high-resolution professional photography, videography and editing for both B2B and B2C clients.

Amparo Vega, Original Cleveland Watch Company
After retiring from the Cleveland Police force, Amparo Vega founded the Original Cleveland Watch Company, a designer of creative, colorful and customized wristwatches that showcase the talent of local artists. The Original Cleveland Watch Company was the official wristwatch vendor of the Republican National Convention.

Alysha Ellis, The Healthy Living Kitchen
As a Cleveland State University MBA student, Alysha Ellis founded The Healthy Living Kitchen in 2015. The organization works to empower individuals to make healthy food and lifestyle choices that can be sustained throughout their lives.

Anjua Maximo, GrooveRyde
Inspired by studios in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City, husband and wife team Zosimo and Anjua Maximo founded GrooveRyde, a group fitness facility consisting of three studios for cycling, circuit training, kickboxing and more.

We would also like to extend a special congratulations to Betsy Gates on being chosen by the judges to receive $10,000 for providing the most compelling pitch. All other participants received $2,500 to help grow their businesses.

To experience the Entrepreneur Showcase in pictures, view the slideshow below.